The present invention relates to electrical connectors and in particular to electrical connectors used in high pressure undersea environments which are adapted for being mated underwater by a diver.
Underwater electrical connectors for interconnecting cables are an essential component in many underwater systems such as offshore oil drilling platform systems and the like. The reliability of such connectors has long been critical since a failed connector can cause serious adverse effects on the operation of the offshore platform, consequences compounded because of the difficulty in raising the cable to make repairs. Two common causes of connector failure have been found to include corrosion due to cathodic effects and the salt water environment and designs which allow tolerances of multiple dimensions to become additive causing the connector to exceed specification or designs which present the diver with the possibility of being confused into actually disassembling rather than decoupling the connector. Consequently, connector assemblies useful in underwater environments must have a design and be made of materials which will be highly resistant to corrosion and must be of a configuration which enables a diver to reliably couple and decouple the connector without the risk of disassembling the connector itself.
Heretofore, connectors used in undersea environments have addressed these problems and have experienced good reliability. Even so, even greater immunity from corrosion is required. Furthermore, a design which can be easily decoupled by a diver in the undersea environment without risking accidental disassembly of the connector is also desired.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a connector having an engaging nut which is easily recognizable and distinguishable from other parts of the connector assembly so that a diver will not mistakenly disassemble the connector. Further, the present invention provides interconnect means for interconnecting the housing to a front shell and a rear shell thereby eliminating the conventionally used external spring retaining ring which is vulnerable to corrosion. In addition, the present invention is configured to have a rear housing retaining nut adjacent the engaging nut wherein the thread is placed rearwardly rather than forwardly of the interconnect means, thus enabling the length of the connector to be substantially decreased and made more compact. This configuration also facilitates distinguishing the retaining nut from the engaging nut to prevent the above described accidental disassembly of the connector when decoupling is intended.
An additional advantage of the present invention is an internal arrangement which eliminates the possibility that the tolerances of several components and dimensions will add to exceed the maximum tolerance of the connector itself. In certain instances, prior devices have had numerous dimensions, each with close tolerances, which have become additive when the connector is assembled on the end of the cable. This additive effect has caused the overall tolerance of the two mating sides of the connector to exceed specifications which in turn prevented the connector from being coupled so as to create the necessary mating seal. The present invention minimizes the number of dimensions whose tolerances are additive thereby virtually eliminating the possibility that the connector will exceed specification due to additive tolerances.
Finally, a indicator mechanism is provided to enable a diver to visually confirm that the two connector parts are completely and properly mated.